Attack on Titan: A Hero's Nap
by namestakem
Summary: Roughly a month ago, I discovered the "click and drag" game on Tumblr, and my friend Cassie and I immediately went through every SNK version of the game. While doing this, I came up with the idea to write a fanfic based on these games. It's only my second attempt at actual creative writing (thanks, school) but I'd like to get some reviews. Not shipping-based, but it does occur.
1. Chapter 1

"We now begin the enlistment ceremony for the 104th trainee corps! I am Keith Shadis, and I had the misfortune to be assigned to train you bastards. And I'm not here to welcome you at all! Right now, you're mere cattle, fit for nothing but Titan food! No, less than cattle… In three years, we'll take you useless pieces of crap and train you. Give you the means to fight the Titans. In three years, when you stand before a Titan, will you still be food? Or will you be a noble wall, shielding the king? Or perhaps, one of humanity's glorious soldiers that slay Titans? You will decide!"

The training grounds were located in a flat, open area, but the head instructor's words still seemed to echo in the ears of every newly registered trainee. The youngest of the trainees were merely twelve years old, while the oldest barely reached fourteen. These were the prototypical "soldiers" that the Titans had forced humanity to resort to training from the ground up. They were barely more than children, youths who for the most part had never laid eyes on the horrendous creatures that they would someday have to face in battle. These boys and girls had no idea what they were truly up against, and Keith Shadis pitied them for it. He did not let that notion interfere with his duty, however, as his intimidation of the new recruits on the first day was an important step in preparing them for the terror that they would be thrown up against in three years.

"You, there!" Shadis called to a small, blond-haired boy near the front of the formation.

"Yes, sir!" The boy's salute was perfect, but his eyes betrayed his fear of the imposing bald man. He couldn't be blamed, as the head instructor of the 104th trainee corps was the closest thing to a Titan that he would see until he actually encountered one for himself.

"Who are you?" The routine question was barked out by Shadis.

The Aryan boy trembled visibly, but managed to hold his ground long enough to answer "Armin Arlert, from Zhiganshina."

The expression on the head instructor's face had not changed for even an instant throughout the introductions, but some of the trainees would remark afterwards that his amusement reached a peak at this point.

"Armin Arlert? That's a stupid name. Did your parents give you that?"

"M-my grandfather", stammered Armin Arlert, apparently trying his hardest to duplicate the volume demonstrated by Shadis.

"Arlert, what are you doing here?" Keith Shadis bent far over until his face was pressed close enough to Armin's that he could see the beads of sweat that had been hiding beneath his fluffy bangs. Armin didn't hesitate on his next answer.

"Trying to aid humanity's victory!" The young boy from Zhiganshina barely managed to avoid falling backwards from the combined stress of belting out his answer and the intimidating Shadis breathing down his neck.

"That's a good answer, Armin Arlert. Then you will be food for the Titans. Row three, about face!" Shadis used a single hand to forcefully turn Armin's body, as the other trainees in his row quickly followed suit. The instructor then proceeded to the next trainee that caught his eye. This one was a boy with skin the same shade as his, with a shaved head and a grim expression. If he hadn't known any better, he would have mistaken the boy for a younger version of himself. That, of course, led him to criticize the unfortunate recruit even more. "You there! You think you're funny? Who are you?"

The miniature Keith Shadis stuttered as he made his reply. "L-Langston Pyrite, from the I-Inner District!"

"Is that some kind of joke? Why is a brat from the Inner District here?"

"I-I want to protect my family! I don't want what happened to Wall Maria to happen again!"

"And you think you can stop that from happening? Know your place, worm! You can do nothing to stop the Titans from eating every human being left in this world, do you understand that?"

"Yes, sir! I understand!"

Shadis had lost interest as quickly as Langston Pyrite had gained confidence. "Row four, about face! Now listen up. I've seen some shit in my time. But you here… You maggots are the sorriest pieces of shit that I have ever seen. You're in for three years of hell, and you'll all be lucky to make it out alive.

At this point, it had become apparent to the new recruits that Shadis was blatantly passing by several of the newcomers. A small girl with blonde hair that covered one of her icy blue eyes, a brawny blonde male with a determined expression, and a lanky dark-haired boy who stood next to him were all seemingly off the hook from the tirade of their instructor. One look into the eyes of any of these recruits gave away the reason. These three had already been through hell, and Shadis, being the former leader of the Survey Corps, understood this. His next target showed no such sentiments.

"Who are you, maggot?"

"Jean Kirstein, from Trost", the sandy-haired boy smugly replied.

"What are you doing here, Jean Kirstein?"

"Joining the Military Police, for a life deep within the walls."

Shadis paused for a moment, contemplating the methods that he could use to whip this ignorant boy into shape. He smiled inside his head as his face kept the same expression that it had worn throughout the process.

"Oh, I see. You want access to the interior?"

Jean Kirstein could only manage a single "Yes" before Shadis slammed his bald head into the face of the recruit and sent him reeling to the ground.

"Who said you could sit down?" Shadis barked. "Anyone who can't handle that will never make the Military Police!" He had quickly lost his patience with Jean, and turned to the recruit next to him. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Marco Bott, Jinae City, Wall Rose South District!" replied the grinning freckled boy. "I want to join the Military Police, to offer the king my body in service!"

"Really? I'm glad to hear that." Truth be told, Shadis was pleased that at least one of his trainees was able to maintain a happy face throughout this ordeal. Of course, that was irrelevant when it came to his job. "Good luck. However…" Shadis menacingly lowered his face to meet Marco Bott. "The king doesn't want your body." He left Marco to deal with the grin that had been wiped off his face, and proceeded to a scrawny boy with a head practically devoid of hair. "Next! Who are you?"

"Connie Springer, of Ragako Village, Wall Rose South District", said the recruit, saluting the head instructor just as the others had all done, but with one key difference that Shadis quickly noticed. Connie Springer had used his left hand instead of his right.

"You're doing it wrong, Connie Springer", Shadis said in a voice that resembled a whisper, but was still loud enough for the other trainees to hear. As he spoke, he reached out with both hands and grabbed ahold of Connie's nearly bald head, lifting him up in the air until he could see eye to eye with Shadis. "I explained that this salute demonstrates your resolve to devote your entire heart to your people. Is your heart on your right side?"

The instructor's attention was diverted from Connie by a loud crunching noise that came from his left. He turned toward the sound in time to see a brunette with her hair in a messy ponytail swallow a piece of what looked like a baked potato. Shadis couldn't believe the disrespect that this girl was showing in his presence, and quickly forgot about Connie Springer long enough to drop him and march over to the girl, who seemed oblivious to him entirely.

"Hey, you… What are you doing?" Shadis said in a puzzled tone, as someone had finally managed to break him out of his harsh instructor persona. The irony that it was this girl, who paid no attention to the authority figure, who was the one to do it was lost on Shadis as he wondered whether she was overly brave or simply stupid. His puzzlement quickly turned into rage as the girl still showed no signs of acknowledging him, and took another bite of her potato. "I'm talking to you! Potato girl!" he shouted into her face at the top of his lungs. "Who are you?"

The girl hastily snapped into a salute and swallowed the bit of potato that remained in her throat. The rest of the snack covered her heart as she introduced herself. "Sasha Blouse, from Dauper Village, Wall Rose South District!"

Shadis towered over Sasha Blouse as he attempted to reel in his anger that had gone over the edge at her flagrant disregard for authority. "Sasha Blouse, what are you holding in your right hand?"

"A boiled potato. The kitchen had a fresh batch and I couldn't resist", she responded quickly, as the recruits around her, who were even more shocked than Shadis, noticed bits of it scattered over her face. Sasha Blouse was not just a rule breaker, but a terribly messy eater to boot.

"Did you steal it?" Shadis turned from anger back to bewilderment. He had still not made up his mind on whether this girl was fearless or thoughtless. He put the thought behind him, and continued to question Sasha in a puzzled voice. "Why would you choose to eat a potato now?"

"Letting it get cold would have been a waste", Sasha answered candidly. "So, I decided I should eat it now."

Shadis felt ready to have an aneurism. He simply could not comprehend this girl. "I still don't understand, Sasha Blouse… Why would you eat that potato?"

Sasha appeared to grow just as confused as Shadis when thinking over this question. "Are you asking me why people eat potatoes?" Sasha and her instructor stared at each other for a few seconds that seemed like years, until a brilliant idea occurred to the girl from Dauper. It was an idea that just might save her from any punishment. She immediately ripped off a small piece of her potato with her left hand, and reached out to Shadis with it. "You can have half."

This did nothing but fluster the bald man even more. He steadily took the bit of potato that Sasha was handing to him, and stared at it. "Half?" He saw Sasha's face turn into a pleasured grin, as she relished giving up the bit of potato but cared more about the success of her plan. Shadis felt the eyes of every single recruit on the two of them, and realized that something must be done. He had to regain control over them before he lost them for good. Damn this potato girl.

"I'll give you two options, Sasha Blouse. You can choose which one suits you best. Option one: you can finish that potato while running laps around this training ground until you pass out." Shadis heard gasps from the trainees as they were reminded of his true nature as an instructor. "Or, you can choose the second option." He stuck his hand that was holding the piece of potato into Sasha's face, and watched her eyes widen as he crushed it in his grip. "You can skip dinner."

The crowd of trainees grew silent as they awaited Sasha's response. Shadis knew enough at this point to easily deduce her choice. Sasha Blouse would spend the next six hours circling the training facilities with nothing but the boiled potato in her unsatisfied belly.

One after the other, the trainees melted under the pressure of their instructor's gaze, until the exasperated Keith Shadis reached the last of them. The tall boy's unkempt dark hair hid a portion of the right side of his face, and the part which was visible seemed to tell Shadis that the boy wished he were doing something else, anything but standing there with the rest of the recruits. His golden eyes seemed familiar to Shadis, and the look in them told him nothing about the boy's past. All in all, this recruit was rather unassuming, and it was only the fact that he was the last one that Shadis had seen that made him stand out at all. The instructor marched right up to the boy and stared him down.

"So, you have the honor of being the last peon to be dealt with today. What's your name, and where do you come from?"

The boy saluted like all of the others. He stared right back at Shadis and recited his reply as if he had done it a thousand times.

"Napoleon Pixis, Inner District, Wall Sina."

The instructor's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Pixis? As in Dot Pixis? What kind of joke are you trying to pull here?" He couldn't believe that this boy was a descendant of one of his former colleagues, the highest ranking administrator of the southern portion of the Garrison. The boy was quick with his answer once again.

"Yes, sir. Dot Pixis, Commander of the southern forces of the Garrison, is my grandfather."

Keith Shadis pondered the boy in front of him for a few seconds, before opening his mouth for all trainees present to hear. "All new recruits, head to the barracks for your room assignments. After you filthy animals have settled in, report promptly to the dining hall. You had best enjoy the food that you are given, for soon you will all be the food when you face the Titans! Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!" came the resounding reply from the trainees as they quickly scampered off in the direction of the distant group of buildings that would house them over the next three years. Shadis then turned his attention to Napoleon Pixis. He was not quite finished with the last recruit.

"So the grandson of Dot Pixis is a trainee under my instruction. Or should I say, the former grandson of Dot Pixis? From this moment on, you are nothing! You are below the dirt! You are only worthy of being stepped on by those stronger than you. I would be surprised if you even lasted the entire three years of this training. Just imagine the look on your old grandfather's face when he hears about the fate that you're sure to meet. And let this be the last I ever speak of him." With that, Shadis turned away from Napoleon and strutted off to meet with the other instructors.

Napoleon Pixis let out a deep sigh as soon as he could tell for certain that Shadis was out of hearing range. It had almost become second nature to him by this point to hide his emotions under stress. Keith Shadis was among the more perceptive men that the grandson of Dot Pixis had ever encountered, but Nap could tell by his reaction that even he was unaware of the knots that the thirteen year old boy had felt in his stomach when the instructor had spoken to him.

As Nap set off in the direction in which the other newly christened trainees had gone, his stomach began to loosen as he calmed himself. That ordeal was over, and all that he needed to do until sunset was settle into his bunk and find out what grimy food was served at his quarters. The sun was nearing the end of its descent as he reached the run-down wooden shack that he would spend the next three years lodging in, if he didn't meet the end that his instructor had in mind for him.

The youths outside of the building had gradually filed inside as Nap approached, and when he finally got there, only a handful of trainees had yet to be assigned. He recognized the pair at the back of the line from their introductions, and they both turned around to meet him as he strode up.

"Hey there, sure took you long enough to get here, didn't it? What did the instructor chew you out over?" asked Connie Springer, casting a sly smile at the taller boy.

Nap shrugged. He wasn't exactly sure why Shadis had deemed his introductory scolding important enough that no one else could stick around to hear it, but he knew that the instructor wouldn't call the other recruits away without a reason. He put that thought in the back of his mind and confessed to Connie.

"He really didn't say anything to me that he hadn't already said. The same old crap about being less than dirt and fit only for Titan food. It all kind of blends in to your ears after a while."

"It seemed like he recognized your name from somewhere", remarked the freckled boy next to Connie, Marco Bott. "Have you met him before or something?"

Nap figured that he would hear similar questions for the rest of the night. "I've never personally met him, but he knows my last name thanks to my grandfather, the Commander of the southern faction of the Garrison. And my father-", he stopped himself, thinking he had already said too much, but neither Connie nor Marco seemed to pick up on it. They both looked at him with awe in their eyes as the three of them tossed questions to one another until they realized that they were the only ones left outside.

Nap entered the dining hall late that evening, once again arriving after most of the other trainees. The food on his tray was a far cry from his mother's cooking, but he knew that he would come to get used to it over the next three years of his life. He scanned the room for a few seconds before taking a seat next to the only familiar face in the room.

Annie Leonhardt curtly acknowledged his presence, which was just about what Nap had come to expect from her after the two years that he had known her. The pale blonde girl had always preferred to let her actions speak for her, and the first day of training hadn't changed her one bit. Still, she was the first real friend that Nap had made on the outside of Wall Sina, and both knew just how much they had in common.

"You're late." If nothing else, Annie was direct with what little speech she chose to give. "I thought you were aware of how much I hate interacting with these people. If you're not here, they suddenly start talking to me. It's agonizing." Annie ripped a piece of bread off in her mouth, and turned away from Nap to stare nastily at the table in front of her as she chewed.

Nap had always found Annie's cold outer shell to be ironically comforting. While other people steered clear of her thanks to her bitter external attitude, Nap was one of a special few that Annie had allowed to grow close to her.

"You know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to actually talk to someone other than me for a change", Nap suggested halfheartedly. "I know how much you like a challenge. That sounds like it would be a good test, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd rather not take a test that I know I'll fail, thank you. I thought you knew me better than that, Nap." Annie did have a point. As much as she loved a challenge, she disliked coming out on the short end of it. Annie had always pushed herself to the limits and overcome them.

Nap's eyes searched the room as he casually chewed his own piece of bread. Most of the tables were sparsely populated due to the large crowd surrounding one near the center of the room. He noticed Marco toward the edge of the pack, and easily recognized the voice of Connie Springer coming from the very front of it. After a few seconds, Nap caught the general topic of conversation. A boy from Zhiganshina was being hounded for questions about the Titans that had destroyed the walls, and he seemed to be eating up every second of fame he could get. Nap turned his head to Annie, who didn't give the slightest impression that she was hearing any of it, but he knew better than that.

"What about the Armored Titan that broke Wall Maria?"

Annie perked up slightly at this question.

"That's what people call it", replied the boy at the table, who Nap couldn't get a close look at from where he sat, "But it looked like an ordinary Titan to me."

"Then what are ordinary Titans like?"

The only audible sound in the next several moments was a high-pitched "clang" that Nap assumed was the boy's spoon dropping into his dish. The crowd was hushed as they awaited his response, until Marco intervened.

"Let's spare him the questions, everyone. He's been through a lot, and there are probably some things that he doesn't want to talk about."

Connie's voice bashfully admitted his error. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's not like that." The boy from Zhiganshina had collected himself and was back in his beloved spotlight. "Titans aren't actually that big of a threat. Once we've mastered the Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear, they won't stand a chance against us. I'm just excited to finally be training as a soldier. I was just overcome with emotion, that's all. I'm going to join the Survey Corps and exterminate all of the Titans in this world! I'm gonna slaughter them!"

"Hey, what are you, crazy?" An obnoxiously loud voice came from an adjacent table, and Nap turned to see the brash sandy-haired boy from before, Jean Kirstein, leering amusedly at the hidden Zhiganshina boy. "Did you just say you were gonna join the Survey Corps?"

"Yeah, that's right", the boy shot back. "Don't you want to join the Military Police for an easy life?"

"I'm an honest man", Jean admitted. "You should try it, it's much better than being a loser who acts tough even when he's about to pee his pants."

Having had enough, the boy swiftly rose from the table and stared down at Jean Kirstein. For the first time, Nap had a good look at the owner of the voice, and recognized him as one of the recruits that Shadis had passed over during the introductions. Being from Zhiganshina, it made sense that he would have been put through a hellish life already.

"What are you saying about me?" the boy asked, emanating his inner Keith Shadis.

Connie gave a half-hearted "Stop" as the boy's fiery green eyes pierced into the rising Jean Kirstein, who strode coolly up to him.

"Come on, now", Jean said, trying to tame the wild beast that he was close to awakening. "It makes no difference to me. I'm sorry; I don't mean to dismiss your ideas. Let's be friends. Jean Kirstein." He held his hand out for the shorter boy, who considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. Eren Jaeger", he said, slapping Jean's hand and walking out the door of the dining hall just as the curfew bell sounded outside.

Quickly losing interest in that affair, Nap turned back to Annie only to realize that his friend had already left the room. He was ready to pick up his tray and head out when he noticed a girl walking toward him from the direction of Eren Jaeger's table. Her black hair and gray eyes glistened in the dim light of the room, and she smiled warmly as she sat down next to Nap and introduced herself.

"Hey, I couldn't help but notice you were sitting here alone. I'm Mina", said the girl, reaching her hand out to Nap while he adjusted on the bench to shake it.

"My name's Napoleon, but it's ridiculously inconvenient. Call me Nap."

Mina chuckled lightly at him. "Napoleon, huh? What's the story behind that name?"

"My father was tired of all of the men in his family having short names. His father was named Dot, and he was Stan. I guess I've disappointed him in that regard, but it's not like he's around to criticize me." Nap was shocked that he had revealed that much already to this girl, though from what he saw on her face she didn't think anything of it.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Nap", Mina said as she rose to her feet. Nap automatically did the same.

"Yeah, same. I'm not the best at making friends, so it's great to meet someone nice like you." Nap could see a slight blush on Mina's face as he spoke. "The only reason I haven't been alone this entire time is thanks to Annie, my childhood friend."

Mina looked disappointed to hear this. "Oh, you two are old friends? That's good to hear." She brightened up quickly, of course. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Maneuver Gear aptitude test, Nap", she said, bidding him goodbye with a quick wave. Nap followed a few steps behind her, heading off to bed. The real training would begin tomorrow for most of the recruits. For Nap, it would only continue.


	2. Chapter 2

This thing got delayed to hell and back, but I finally finished it, with more on the way soon. Part 2/2 of the training chapters, here we go:

"We'll begin your training with the aptitude tests", Shadis shouted. "Those who fail at this test are not even fit to serve as bait for the Titans. They'll be sent back to the fields!"

If Nap was at all concerned about the test, he didn't show it as he was hoisted up by the two cables fastened to the belt at his waist. The balance had not come naturally to Nap, but he had worked hard and improved by leaps and bounds. It helped that he was an enthusiastic tinkerer, and his old gear had been constantly altered, over his time learning from his grandfather, based on his intuition and preferences at the time.

Nap was able to easily hang in the gear as the instructors surveyed the trainees. To his right, Connie, Jean and the potato girl all looked like naturals. To his left, Eren Jaeger was not quite so lucky. The boy who had talked so boldly the previous night about slaying Titans in the Survey Corps was getting a face full of dirt and an ear full of Keith Shadis. Nap couldn't help but feel bad for the kid, but on the other hand, he was only getting what he deserved after boasting about his prowess the night before. Elsewhere, Marco took a bad tumble on his first attempt, but learned his lesson and stayed balanced on his second try. Mina seemed to get the hang of it after a shaky start. Annie had no problem staying upright in midair, as Nap would have expected. He had always admired her ability to adapt.

"Please, you have to help me! I heard you were really good", Eren Jaeger pleaded. He had dragged Nap out behind the dining hall that evening, much to Annie's secretive amusement. He still wore a bandage on his head, courtesy of his earlier failures with the aptitude test. As a contrast to last night, his table had been deserted other than him and two friends.

Nap didn't know how to help him. It had taken him a good chunk of time to master the gear, albeit at a younger age. He considered the boy in front of him for a moment before speaking. He would have to take a different approach.

"Why are you here?" The question understandably seemed to catch Eren off-guard. "Why is it that you chose to fight and slay the Titans even after seeing what they are capable of? You're not like me. You know just how terrifying they are up close."

The shorter boy's eyebrows furrowed. Nap saw an even deeper fire than when he had witnessed him confronting Jean the previous night. "I decided I had to kill them. Simple as that. I have to kill all of the Titans with my own hands." Nap tried to speak up, but Eren wasn't finished. "I know what you're going to say. Believe me, I've heard it plenty of times, but I'm not going to listen. I'm not going to give up."

Nap gave a relieved smile. "Then you're just like me. If that's the attitude you came in here with, there's no reason to change anything. Just make sure that you're not getting ahead of yourself." Nap turned to stare at the distant Wall Rose on the horizon. "You know your own limits better than anyone else does and if you keep insisting on breaking them down, well… You're going to find out what it truly means to be human."

Eren nodded, but he was still puzzled. "How does this relate to my aptitude test?"

Nap turned back to him and gave a reassuring look. "Your aptitude with the Maneuver Gear isn't the only thing that makes you a soldier." He put out a fist and knocked it against Eren's chest a couple of times. "This is just as important. I can say with certainty that you have the will of a soldier. My grandfather told me that if the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble nails. Your guts are your hammer. Make sure everything is in place, and get ready to pound some nails come tomorrow. You want this more than anyone. That alone gives you strength, Eren Jaeger."

Eren nodded, and smiled back at Nap. "Thanks, I know exactly what I need to do now. Napoleon Pixis, right?"

"Just call me Nap", he said, scratching his jet-black hair with his left hand.

The two boys said their goodbyes, and Nap turned to leave as Eren stood deep in thought. Turning the corner of the dining hall building, Nap ran headfirst into another trainee. Both of them fell to the dirt, and Nap quickly rushed to his feet, offering to help the embarrassed girl up. Her shoulder-length hair was the same sleek black tone as his, and her gray eyes looked like endless pools that he could easily drown in if he stared too long. Nap recognized the dazzling beauty as one of the two trainees loyal enough to console Eren even after his brutal failure that day. Brushing himself off, he began apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-"

"Save it, I'm fine." The girl cut him off effortlessly. "Where's Eren?"

"He's… Around back. Just standing there", Nap managed to get out, and without another word, the girl flew by him. Not stopping to think why, he swiftly grabbed her arm and spun her around. "You're not even going to introduce yourself? We're going to be comrades for the rest of our lives. The least you could do is tell me your name." He reached his hand out one more time. "I'm Nap Pixis."

The girl glared at him, but complied with his request. "Mikasa Ackerman. Is that good enough for you?" Nap nodded, pleased that he had a name to go with the face. He had far too many regrets in that regard. With that, Mikasa Ackerman turned and trudged off after Eren. "Stay away from him" was all that Nap heard as he lost her in the night.

Nap returned to the bustling interior of the dining hall to find Mina sitting across from Annie, talking as if she made a living off of it. His old friend wore the same bored expression on her face, but he could tell that she was at least listening to and acknowledging the other girl. They both greeted him as he sat down next to Annie and began to finish his dinner, all while recounting his conversation with Eren.

"He certainly says the right things", Annie sighed after he had finished. "He has a lot of courage. I respect that. He may just be an idiot, but…"

Nap and Mina looked quizzically at her as she trailed off, and none of the three said anything for a long while after. The bell eventually sounded outside, and the recruits filed out of the dining hall and went to prepare for the next morning.

Minutes after the break of dawn, the trainees were called down to the same dusty field that had been the location of their aptitude tests the previous day. This would be the last chance for the recruits that had botched the test the day before, as another such failure would land them on the first wagon back to the fields. A confident Eren was the first to be called up by Shadis, holding an incredibly determined look in his eyes as the towheaded trainee Thomas Wagner hoisted him up. Eren looked much more comfortable than the day before, but after a few moments of relief at finally accomplishing the task, both Eren's thoughts and his body took a mean tumble, and next thing he knew, he was face-first in the dirt once again.

Refusing to give up as simply as before, Eren gripped the rocky terrain beneath him and attempted to prop himself up again. "N-not yet! I can still do it!" Try as he might, the challenge was too great even for the iron-willed boy who vowed to wipe out the Titans. After a few moments, Shadis mercifully ended his misery with a quick word to Thomas.

Eren fell to his hands and knees, panting, as he dejectedly stared at the ground in front of him. Nap took a quick glance at Mikasa, standing a few feet from him, and if he hadn't known any better he would have thought that he saw the faintest feeling of relief in her stoic eyes, all while Eren's began to tear up.

"Wagner", Shadis addressed the Trost native who had assisted Eren. "Switch belts with Jaeger."

Though surprised at the request, Thomas quickly complied, but after the exchange was made, Shadis snatched Eren's old belt away from the nervous boy. He shifted the item in his hands, looking the thing over as he nodded to himself, confirming his belief.

"Your equipment was defective. The belt you were using had a broken clasp", the bald man explained to Eren as he nodded at Wagner to lift him again. "I've never heard of this part breaking before; I guess we'll have to add it to the maintenance checklist."

"Then, even with broken equipment, he still managed to…" As stunned as any other recruit, Nap couldn't help but be impressed. Though it had only been for a few seconds, Eren had managed to hang in the air with a defective belt just as well as any other.

"Th-then…" Eren struggled with his words as he wobbled around, barely managing to hold himself upright. "Am I fit to be a soldier?"

Shadis eyed him closely for a moment before nodding. "I can't say that for certain yet, but you have passed this test. Train hard."

Nap couldn't help but notice a tinge of disappointment on Mikasa's face while Eren threw his arms in the air and celebrated.

That night, another new face showed up at Nap and Annie's dinner table. The trainee meekly took a seat next to Mina before putting out a shaking hand in introduction.

"L-Langston Pyrite", the wheat-skinned boy squeaked, a genuine smile lighting up his face. On the surface, he may have looked like a young Keith Shadis, but his character and mannerisms could not have been more different from those of the instructor.

Mina, Nap, and finally a begrudging Annie tossed out greetings to the boy, whose confidence seemed to grow the longer the conversation lasted.

"Pyrite, huh?" Nap recalled the name from earlier. "You were one of the guys who had to retake the aptitude test today, right?"

Langston nodded sullenly. "Yeah, I really didn't know what I was signing up for. I joined the military because I wanted to make sure no more people inside these walls get eaten by Titans. Growing up in the Inner District, I never imagined the training would be like this."

Mina's eyebrows rose. "You're from the Inner District? And you still chose to enlist?"

"I didn't have a very popular opinion." Langston's voice grew softer as he replied. "My mother shunned the idea of her son going out beyond the walls, and it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I made up my mind to do it anyway." His head rolled back as he sighed. "She must be worried sick. I know it would take a miracle to get her to leave the Inner District, but I still wish she could see that I'm okay. Actually, thinking about her is what got me so distracted that I failed my first test. Clearing my mind was all I needed to do in order to pass the second one."

Mina put a friendly, comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure she knows that you're just following the path that you've chosen." Her eyes shone as she spoke. "I sometimes worry about my family back in Karanes, but I know that they're supporting me. I want to do my best for them."

Langston's face reddened as he turned his attention to the table in front of him. Annie broke the silence after a few seconds, barely lifting her blank face.

"Just make sure you're ready", her voice came softly. "The Titans aren't going to care about your sad story. All they're going to be interested in is how good you taste when you're going down their throats. You can have all the motivation in the world and it won't matter if you're not properly prepared to face them, both mentally and physically."

Nap nodded solemnly. "That's why we're here, isn't it?"

He could see it through the thick branches of the forest. The Dummy Titan was a few meters away, slightly to his right. To his left, he could make out Jean's obnoxious voice echoing through the dense woods, and he knew that Connie would not be far behind. Now was the time to act. Nap burst into the clearing, letting his momentum carry him toward the thin wooden structure that wouldn't have fooled a blind man into thinking that it was a real Titan. The strip on the back of its neck, the weak spot of the Titans and the only area in which a killing blow could be dealt, was marked as a target in this practice, but on an actual Titan it would have been indistinguishable from the rest of the body. Nap struck at the spot with his twin blades, a split second before Jean, Connie, and an ecstatic Sasha materialized through the trees, one after the other. Nap's shot was as deep as could be, slicing cleanly through the nape of the dummy's neck. He heard Jean utter a curse from behind him as he made a much smaller dent in the dummy's neck than Nap had.

This training lasted for a good portion of the day. As the rookies returned to the training grounds in the deep orange light of the setting sun, Nap caught a glimpse of Annie being spoken to by a pair of unreasonably tall boys, neither of whom he recognized. Curious, considering that Annie had exchanged few lines of dialogue with anyone other than him, Langston, or Mina since their enlistment, Nap broke from the main stream of trainees to wander off in their direction.

"…Remember why you're here, Annie", said the shorter but brawnier of the two boys. This one was a stern-looking blonde who spoke to Annie like a frustrated teacher would speak to an uninterested student. His comrade, a dark-haired beanpole who stood further away from Annie, noticed Nap approaching and made an effort to calm the other boy. They both stood in silence as Napoleon Pixis moved toward them. The blonde one then put on a brotherly smile and put up a hand in greeting.

"You must be Nap." It was only at this that Annie finally turned around and met the gaze of her old friend. "Annie just finished telling us about you. I should introduce myself too, of course. Reiner Braun."

Nap slapped the outstretched hand of Reiner Braun, and did the same to the taller boy, who quietly presented himself as Bertolt Hoover.

"Nap, when you introduced yourself, you told Shadis that you were from the Inner District, right?" Reiner seemed to forget about whatever he had been saying to Annie.

"That's right", Nap returned. Reiner and Bertolt stood analyzing him for a few moments before the taller boy stepped forward.

"But if that's true, why did you choose to become a soldier? You would have been as safe as anyone inside Wall Sina, so why risk your life out here against the Titans?"

Nap brushed his hair back with his left hand. It normally wasn't much of a burden during training, but on his off-time it would occasionally cling to his forehead in irritating fashion. "I left the Inner District two years ago, when Wall Maria fell." The two boys looked startled, but continued to eagerly listen. Annie, of course, already knew all about his past, and kept her usual uninterested look.

"My grandfather, Dot Pixis, Commander of the Garrison's southern forces, had been required to move his station back to Wall Rose. It was with him that I spent the past two years of my life, learning from him all that I could about being a soldier."

Nap thought back to his time living with his grandfather. How the old man had often taken the boy to the top of Wall Rose, and held his hand as they gazed together at the outside world, and the Titans beneath them. He remembered how afraid he had been at first of the creatures outside of the wall, and he remembered the comforting words that Dot Pixis had given him. Those words stuck with him even today.

Reiner interrupted Nap's thoughts with a pat on the shoulder. "I guess you're not like some of these other recruits after all. The ones that are only here to save face. No, you know exactly what you're dealing with. I'm glad to have made your acquaintance, Nap Pixis."

This time it was Nap you held out a hand and Reiner who gave it a smack. "You too, Reiner Braun. Bertolt Hoover."

Unnoticed by the boys, Annie Leonhardt seemed to grow more annoyed as the conversation went on.

It was a late night for Keith Shadis. The trainees' three years under his watch had gone by in a flash, and the night before their graduation had come sooner than he would have liked. As of midnight, he was still in his cabin writing last-minute evaluations of the trainees that he had seen grow from children barely able to stand up to him into warriors that he knew would be able to stand up to Titans.

Armin Arlert. Among the most timid of the recruits since the first day, Arlert was a constant target of Shadis. The instructor's tactics had worked, and the sorry kid had blossomed as a soldier under his watch. Even though the boy still lacked the physical capabilities of his peers, he managed to keep up with them through his natural genius and his unparalleled ability to strategize. Armin Arlert wouldn't crack the top ten, but he was certainly not a disappointment to Keith Shadis.

Reiner Braun. Braun easily stood out among the trainees thanks to his natural charisma and strong will, not to mention his superb physical condition. He was well-respected by his peers and worked diligently in all areas of his training. Always one to assist his comrades, Braun had all of the makings of a fantastic soldier. A shoo-in for the top ten would give Reiner Braun a chance to join the Military Police, though Keith Shadis had other wishes.

Thomas Wagner. Nothing about Wagner jumped out at Shadis when watching him in training, but the boy had improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the three years, and that alone was impressive for someone with little natural talent. Still a bit slow mentally and physically, Wagner would make a fine member of the Garrison upon leaving the Trainee Corps.

Christa Lenz. In addition to her angelic beauty, Lenz had the kindest heart of any of the trainees. She always knew how best to help out her comrades, and did everything in her power to assist them in succeeding. She was no slouch as a soldier either, and if it hadn't been for an unprecedented amount of talent at the top of the class, Christa Lenz would have been one of the top ten in her trainee group.

Annie Leonhardt. The apathetic Leonhardt rarely spoke when it wasn't absolutely necessary, instead letting her fighting skills speak for her. By far the best in hand-to-hand combat in her class, she also boasted an absolutely flawless strike form. Her teamwork was rather sub-par due to her apparent lack of interest in other people, but her talent as a fighter alone would earn her a spot in the top ten and an opportunity to join the Military Police.

Langston Pyrite. Once an afterthought to Keith Shadis, Pyrite had quickly propelled himself to the top of his class. An enthusiastic learner who was always eager to improve his technique, he had impressed his look-alike with his precision and instinct. His unconventional methods worked out more often than not, and although he would occasionally make a fool out of himself with his improvisation, Langston Pyrite was more than deserving of a spot in the top ten.

Bertolt Hoover. As far as sheer potential went, Hoover was among the best of the best. He was a proficient fighter, second only to Leonhardt in hand-to-hand combat, but displayed an utter lack of self-confidence. He preferred to give others the opportunities that he should have been able to take advantage of, and deferred leadership roles that he could have handled. Based on ability alone, Bertolt Hoover was definitely top class.

Marco Bott. A great motivator who always manages to bring out the best in those around him, Bott was an excellent example of the type of soldier that humanity needed. He was an adept tactician, and his skill and intellect matched up nicely with his leadership skills. He was a bit behind with the Maneuver Gear, but would still make an excellent member of the Military Police.

Jean Kirstein. Shadis had seen flashes of development personality-wise from the brash, egotistical Kirstein, but at the end of the day his attitude would come as a major hindrance to his ability to function within a unit. However, he was highly competent in the use of Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear and excellent at assessing a given situation. Overall, Jean Kirstein was suited for life deep inside the walls, and Shadis would be happy to give it to him.

Mina Carolina. Displaying some of the best teamwork out of any trainee in the group, Carolina had earned the respect and admiration of her companions. The talent was not all there, but she showed steady improvement over time, and could always be counted on as an optimist. Mina Carolina was not a flashy soldier like some others, but she was good at what she did.

Connie Springer. Springer's balance and precision were off the charts, as he was physically one of the top trainees in the group. Mentally, he was not all there, as he was prone to lapses and his assessment and strategy constantly needed work. He had a tendency to mess around during training hours, giving him a bad reputation with Shadis. However, there was no denying Connie Springer's proficiency as a soldier, at least when he was focused.

Sasha Blouse. Blouse was another case of a childish recruit who managed to succeed despite constantly disobeying orders. She was lightning fast and well-adjusted to the Maneuver Gear, and her instincts were off the charts. However, she would constantly rely on her own instincts and disregard the opinions of others, making her unsuited for group operations. Sasha Blouse was a fine soldier, but a headache to Shadis and many others around her.

Miranda Sieyes. Dubbed the "Invisible Soldier" by her fellow trainees, Sieyes had a tendency to disappear during training and show up at the last minute just to say that she participated. She did not seem to take her evaluations seriously, but she was able to learn techniques easily enough. Physically and mentally at the top of her game, the only thing that Miranda Sieyes seemed to lack was the motivation to succeed as a soldier.

Mikasa Ackerman. It was difficult to say anything negative about Ackerman, as she had all the makings of a prodigy and then some. Her mental and physical skill levels were unprecedented, and her precision was off the charts. Shadis couldn't name a soldier even in his time with the Survey Corps who had been as talented and determined as Mikasa Ackerman, who would easily hold down one of the top two spots in her talent-loaded class.

Eren Jaeger. While he lacked the special talents of many in his class, Jaeger had improved steadily due to his determination. He had ten times the motivation of any other recruit, but it remained to be seen whether or not he could translate that into proficiency as a soldier. In a class rich with talent, Eren Jaeger was often left in the dust of other trainees despite his tenacity.

Napoleon Pixis. Pixis was the most polished trainee that Shadis had ever seen, and it was obvious that he had been taught well by his grandfather. His long legs gave him deceptive speed both on the ground and in the air, while his aptitude with the Maneuver Gear was unrivaled even among the experienced soldiers known to Shadis. Napoleon Pixis made an immensely strong case to be the top member of his class, but you never would have heard it from him.

Shadis rolled his head around, and took a sip from the flask on his desk. He imagined saying goodbye to these trainees, just as his old instructors had said goodbye to him and his former companions.

"Stan… Grisha…" Shadis closed his eyes as the names of his oldest friends left his mouth. "If only you could see your sons now."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, where did Bertolt go off to?"

"He's probably just slacking off, knowing him."

"You're one to talk, Miranda."

Miranda Sieyes' silky brown hair flapped in the wind as she giggled at her own expense. She had a reputation among the trainees as a loafer, but that didn't appear to bother her one bit.

"You don't have to be so serious all the time, Nap", she groaned, turning her head back to the mounted cannon that she was supposed to be cleaning. "Where's the fun in living like that?"

"I think you should both shut up and get to work", snapped Ymir from a few paces to their left. The freckles on her tanned face stood out prominently with her hair tied back and the midday sun beaming down on her. She shook her head in dismay. "I can't believe I had to leave my Christa for you turds."

Miranda snickered at the insult. Nap ignored it and returned to his maintenance of the cannons. The only sounds to be heard were the ones caused by the calm breeze atop the fifty-meter wall.

"Finished!" shouted a triumphant Miranda as she stood up to take a final gander at her handiwork.

"About time you actually put some work in", Mylius muttered from underneath the cannon to her right. His ashy hair was drenched in sweat from the day's toil.

Miranda grinned mischievously. "Not exactly. Come look."

The other four members of the squad gathered around the lanky girl as she crossed her arms in front of her and gazed in gloating admiration at what she had accomplished.

Franz was the first to awkwardly react to the work of art that lay before them. "Um… Is that…?"

"Yep!" answered Miranda proudly. She twirled about the small knife that she had used to carve the intricate picture of Keith Shadis onto the cannon's frame, complete with a disproportionally large head and steam coming out of his nostrils like an angry bull.

Nap and Ymir sighed and went back to business. Mylius followed them shortly, while Franz remained transfixed by the masterpiece of procrastination. The clouds swirled overhead as the sun moved westward.

Deep down, Nap was glad that Miranda was there to ease the mood. The past three years had been beyond stressful for the 218 trainees who had made it through and no one had felt it more than him. No matter how many perfect scores he had achieved in training, he remained doubtful of himself. Could he really stand up to the Titans? Could he really assist humanity's quest to return to life outside the walls? He wasn't sure. But he knew that the four people surrounding him, the four brothers and sisters that he had bonded with during their three years of hell, would help him through it.

_We may be outmatched_, Nap thought as he gazed out into the distance, at the lush green hills that rolled out as far as the eye could see beyond Wall Rose. _We may be out of our league, but we're not going to give up. The Titans are about to feel the power of the human race._

These were the thoughts that crossed Nap's mind as a bolt of lightning flashed to his right. Thirty or so meters away from where he and his squad were on wall-cleaning duty, a gigantic skinless head had appeared, looking over the wall and into the city of Trost. The head was attached to the body of a muscular Titan far larger than any Nap had seen outside of the wall.

Before he or any of his fellow trainees could make a move, the whole wall shook as the Colossal Titan once again blasted down humanity's gate with a mighty kick.

Nap was shocked to his core by the impact of the enormous Titan's power, and he along with the rest of his team was knocked backwards off of the wall. If they hadn't been wearing their Maneuver Gear, the fall would have killed them instantly, but as it was, all five of them managed to hitch themselves to the outer wall of Trost and plant their feet firmly on the side of it. After he had taken time to collect himself, he heard Franz's voice coming from his left.

"Nap! What do we do? The Titans are going to enter the city!"

Franz's statement only conveyed that which was totally obvious, but it did its job in jolting Nap to action.

"Mounted Cannon Maintenance Squad Six!" Nap shouted to the others. "Fall back! The wall has been breached, and the Colossal Titan Response Operation is probably being started as we speak! We need to get back to headquarters as fast as we can!" He couldn't bring himself to fight the Colossal Titan. He couldn't ask his friends to charge into certain death.

The scene at HQ was absolute madness. Nap witnessed even the most experienced soldiers bumbling around in a panicked state of frenzy, most of them concerned only with keeping their own lives. Franz comforted Hannah off in a corner, and at the other end of the supply room, Eren attempted to calm down a terrified Armin as Mikasa looked on. It took several minutes of frantic searching for Nap to finally locate Annie near the back of the dimly lit room.

"Annie! Are you okay?" His oldest friend was one of the few people privileged enough to ever hear genuine concern in his voice. She turned to stare blankly at him, but he could see her visibly trembling.

"Does it make a difference? Whether or not I'm okay, that doesn't change the fact that the Titans are in the city. That's what you should be concerned about, Nap."

She lowered her head so that the hair on the right side of her face formed a shield in front of her usually blank countenance. It was an old trick, and Nap didn't fall for it.

"Annie, how could I not be concerned about you? I don't know exactly what it is." He took a step forward and swiftly embraced the petite girl. "But I know that you have a history with the Titans. And I want you to know that I'll prot-"

Annie clenched her fist and knocked a steaming uppercut into Nap's chin. He stumbled back, his jaw roaring with pain, doubling over as Annie calmly walked away.

"I never needed you to protect me."

Nap regained his composure, and took solace in the fact that the two of them both knew that that was a lie.

"Come now, are you playing seriously?" Lord Balto used his rook to capture his opponent's pawn, placing the opposition once again in checkmate. "There, I win again. We square off once a month, yet you never seem to improve at all, Pixis."

The old man sitting across from the plump nobleman scratched his bald head. "Oh, no, I am just no match for you, Lord Balto."

The wealthy aristocrat took a sip from his wine glass and laughed heartily. "You're the top officer in the entire southern territory." Balto paused to scoop several pastries off the plate by his side and unceremoniously shove them into his gaping maw. "How do you hope to triumph over the Titans with such petty skill and intellect?"

The two men were sitting at the finest of chess tables in the finest of palaces, but Pixis still wore his traditional leather jacket with the symbol of the Garrison emblazoned on the back, along with the rest of his military gear. His subordinates, Anka and Gustav, stood quietly and patiently behind him, making sure to keep their distances from the lord's untidy tirades. The commander was sitting calmly with his eyes shut when a messenger burst into the room, out of breath.

"Commander Pixis! I bring a message!"

Balto rose from his seat, appalled at the young soldier's rude entrance. "How uncouth! Who are you?"

"The Colossal Titan has appeared in Trost! The gate has been destroyed!"

Anka and Gustav reacted audibly to the sudden revelation, and Balto's wine glass promptly fell from his hand and shattered on the ornate carpet, but Pixis remained as calm as he had been during the chess match. He picked the bottle of wine up from the chess table and proceeded to drain it of its contents before heaving a sigh and wiping his mouth.

"Mm. This is a fine drink, indeed. As a fellow warrior on the field of battle, I will humbly accept it." The commander motioned for Anka and Gustav to follow him as he began to make his exit from the room.

"H-hey, wait, Pixis! Wait just a minute! I forbid you to leave!" The panicked lord waddled after the bald commander "Assemble your troops immediately and defend my domain!" Pixis paid no heed to the roly-poly man as he coolly walked onward. "That is your duty!" With this, the commander stopped and about-faced, addressing the noble for one last time.

"Lord Balto. As we speak, soldiers in Trost are risking their lives in battle."

Anka appeared beside her superior. "Commander, I will ready the horses."

Pixis put a hand on her shoulder as she walked by him. "Don't, Anka. I have another task for you." He nodded at Gustav, and the tall man proceeded at once to carry out the operation. Pixis turned to the chestnut-haired woman. "Anka, I want you to go on ahead of us. As fast as you can. Don't stop for anything. Don't stop until you find Nap. I need to see him one last time before one of us foolishly gets himself killed." Anka nodded and ran off after Gustav, and Pixis turned his attention to the sweating aristocrat who still had not given up.

"Now, I presume many lives are being lost", Pixis continued. "Right now, at this very moment."

"Insignificant lives, I'm sure!" Balto retorted. "Forget about them. Your presence there won't change anything anyway. You continuously lose to me in our tabletop skirmishes!"

"Fear not, Your Lordship", replied Pixis with a wry smile that he had been saving for this moment. "Against the Titans, I will have no need to lose on purpose. Now, Lord Balto, have another pleasant and peaceful day as always." With that, Dot Pixis turned his back on the lord for good.

"Wait! Come back! Pixis!" cried the desperate man to no avail.

"As practiced, you will now split into your squads and perform resupply, message relay, and Titan-clearing duties under the command of the Garrison!" The heavily-bearded Captain Kitts Verman laid out the plan for the greenhorn soldiers in front of him. The members of the 104th Trainee Corps were about to go into battle against the Titans for the first time in their young lives, but even the experienced Verman echoed their feelings of dread. "The Garrison's intercept squad will take the vanguard! The trainees, led by the support squad, will take the middle guard! The Garrison's elite squads will take up the rear guard. Additionally, I've received word that the advance team has been wiped out. The outer gate has been breached, and the Titans have been allowed inside! In other words, the Armored Titan could very well appear again and demolish the inner gate at any time!"

The hubbub among the distraught trainees reached its pinnacle as they imagined the disaster that the destruction of Wall Rose would bring. Most of them had families in the territory within the wall that would be in danger if the Titans broke through.

"Quiet!" Verman nervously hushed the crowd. "The vanguard is currently engaged with the enemy! The defense operation has but one objective: to defend Wall Rose until the citizens have finished evacuating! Also, as I'm sure you're all well aware, desertion is punishable by death! Be prepared to lay down your lives for the sake of humanity! Dismissed!"

A shoddy salute was given by the 104th Trainee Corps as they were sent off to their premature deaths. Even after all of the training that they had undergone in preparation for moments such as the present one, Nap's comrades could do nothing but add to the pandemonium caused by the Colossal Titan.

"Why today? I would've been on my way to the interior tomorrow…" Jean lamented to Bertolt, before turning to his right to see the nervous wreck Daz heaving up his breakfast.

"Are you okay?" Christa's angelic voice soothed Daz as she rubbed his back. She didn't seem to be of much help, for not a moment after he turned to thank her he was back to throwing up. Disgusted, Jean rose to his feet and stormed away from them. He passed a pair of recruits huddled against the wall, heads in hands, before running directly into the last person he wanted to see at the time.

"Move!" he yapped to Eren Jaeger, shoving him aside furiously. The shorter boy grabbed his arm and swung him around in response.

"Hey, Jean! What's wrong?"

"'What's wrong?' That's easy for you to say, you suicidal bastard!" Having enough, Jean grabbed Eren by the collar of his shirt. "You want to join the scouts! You're ready to be Titan chow any time!"

As she approached the two of them, Mikasa's contempt for Jean rose exponentially. _He's going to pay for laying hands on Eren. I'll show him wh-_

She was abruptly spun around by her shoulder, and brushed the hair out of her eyes to see Nap Pixis standing in front of her.

"What was that for?" Mikasa asked, annoyed.

Nap narrowed his eyes as he studied her. "You were going to protect Eren, weren't you?" Though it came as a question, it was spoken as a statement of fact.

"And what does that have to do with you? Eren doesn't need-"

"Eren doesn't need what? My help? If he doesn't need my help, why would he need yours?"

"You don't know what we've been through together. He needs-"

"Did you ever stop to ask what he wanted?"

Mikasa had run out of words, and stood staring coldly at Nap. He took the chance to reason with her some more.

"Eren went through the same hell that you went through. He's not as talented as you, but he made it through. He's got more guts than you could ever imagine. If there's anyone who doesn't need your protection, it's Eren." He searched for any sign of understanding in her eyes. Instead, she pulled her red scarf over her face and continued toward the still-arguing Eren and Jean.

"You know, we're a lot alike", Nap called out after her.

"Pixis!" an unknown voice called from behind. Nap turned to see a short, gray-haired woman looking at him with crossed arms. "I need you to join the rear guard. Special orders. Come with me."

Nap was taken aback at this sudden request. "What? I can't do that, I'm only a trainee and I-"

"I don't care. The evacuation is behind schedule, and we need all of the skilled soldiers that we can get. I assumed you would know your role when it comes to following orders, but clearly I-"

"Rico!" A lofty man jogged toward the two of them. "Pixis will remain in the middle guard with the rest of the trainees. I've requested help from Trainee Ackerman."

Nap looked behind the man, and sure enough Mikasa had begun departing with the remainder of the Garrison. Rico took a resentful look at him before following along with the man. Forcefully shaking off his jitters, Nap approached the closest trainee in the area, Eren, and together they set off to rendezvous with their squad.

"Hey, Armin", Eren called to his friend, standing adjacent to him on the roof. The coconut-headed boy was quivering slightly, but held a determined look in his sky-blue eyes. "This is the perfect chance, don't you think? If we take care of business in this first battle before we've even joined the Survey Corps, we rookies will shoot up the ranks for sure." Eren grinned widely, and Armin couldn't help but follow suit.

"Yeah. No question about it." Eren had always been able to instill bravery into others. That was how he had been able to convince several of his fellow trainees to join the Survey Corps upon graduation.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves", a level-headed Nap interjected. "It isn't a forgone conclusion that we'll make it through today." The leader of the squad could have been more optimistic with his speech, but he knew that he spoke the truth. "That being said, I have faith. You're all going to put on one hell of a show out there today."

"That's right! Whoever takes out the most Titans wins!" Thomas yelled heartily. Nap looked around at the squad that he was heading into battle with. They were all full to the brim with the vitality that people like Eren had given them. Thomas Wagner. Mylius Zermunsky. Armin Arlert. Eren Jaeger. Mina Carolina. They were together until death, whether it be theirs or the Titans'.

"Sure, just don't go lying about your scores", Eren agreed. Mina giggled behind him, and Nap took a quick look over toward her. He immediately noticed her staring at him in return, and she hid her face in shame before he turned away.

"Squad 34, move out!" came the order from the Garrison, ending the awkward phase of their day. "Bolster the vanguard!"

"Alright, let's go!" Nap called out to his friends. The top-ranked trainee in their talent-rich class raised his hand above his head, the blade attached to his maneuver gear shining with reflected sunlight.

Wires flying, smoke trailing out behind them, the trainees careened across the rooftops as they boldly made their way through the city of Trost. Eren and Mina were the first to see the multitude of Titans that lay before them.

"That many?" said an alarmed Mina. "The vanguard must have been defeated already!"

"Dammit", Nap cursed under his breath. "We can't let our guard down even for a second with all of these Titans out here! We need to-"

"An aberrant!" Eren's scream attracted the attention of the other five trainees, who immediately spotted the humungous creature leaping toward them, forcing all of them to scatter onto a nearby roof. Nap, Armin, Mina and Mylius made the landing, while Eren grabbed the very edge of the roof for dear life, as the Titan crashed into a tower.

Thomas was not as lucky as his friends. The Titan's head shifted to its right, revealing the upper half of the squirming boy protruding from its mouth. The other members of his squad looked on in utter horror as the behemoth swallowed him whole, before it dropped to the ground and walked away like nothing had happened.

It took a few seconds to sink into Nap's mind. Thomas was dead. Just like that. The very first Titan that he saw and it had ended his life, his dreams, his hope for the future… Everything. The Titans had taken everything from humanity. Nap's friend of three years was only the latest victim on their list.

"What the hell are you doing?!" was Eren's battle cry as he launched himself in the direction of the Titan that had eaten Thomas, eyes full of sheer bloodlust and thoughts bent on vengeance.

"Eren!" Armin desperately called out after him.

"Don't be an idiot!" Nap shouted, activating his Maneuver Gear and chasing after his brash friend. "You're going to die if you go off alone!"

But there was no stopping Eren. His blood-curdling yells echoed back to the other four as they chased him through the streets of Trost, all of them neglecting to even so much as scan the area for Titans.

There was nothing that any of them could do to prevent an unnoticed Titan from snapping up the lower part of Eren's left leg as he heedlessly flew over it.

Nap watched his comrade spin out of control, face-planting into a roof before his momentum forced him to roll across several subsequent ones, eventually coming to rest face-down on top of a midlevel house. Nap desperately raced after him, slashing the neck of the guilty Titan before it could even turn around and see him. He had been the best Maneuver Gear operator in their entire class, and managed to quickly land on the same roof as his injured squad mate after making his first kill.

Armin came down on a house across the street from where Nap and Eren were, while Mylius and Mina propelled themselves toward them. The two didn't get far before Mylius was snatched out of the air by a seven-meter Titan. As Mina looked behind her in horror, a smaller Titan grabbed ahold of her wire, resulting in her being flung into the wall of a building. Before she could recover her senses, the wide-eyed Titan was already bearing down upon her.

There was no time for Nap to worry about Eren. He fired his hooks in the direction of the beast that had grabbed Mina, and gracefully soared toward it, hacking through the skin of its weak spot mere seconds before it would have bitten off the head of his good friend. He let his momentum carry him into the wall, before using his feet to ricochet off of it, stealing Mina from the hands of the fallen Titan and shooting his hooks back onto the roof where Eren lay. Looking behind him, he saw the seven-meter class stuffing the last piece of Mylius into its mouth. Even from the start, it had been too late to save the gray-haired boy. He deposited Mina on the rooftop, where she fell to her knees, sobbing.

"Nap… Thank you… I was…" she managed to get out through the stream of tears and shudders. Nap placed his hand on her head, comforting one of the first trainees who had been kind enough to speak to him. He hadn't realized until recently how much he truly cared for her.

"Mina, don't say anything", Nap whispered. "Besides, it's not over yet. We need to make it out of here, and make sure that Thomas and Mylius didn't die for nothing."

He slowly looked around him, barely managing to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest. Eren lay in a sorry heap several meters away, on the same rooftop, probably with more than a few broken bones to go along with the loss of his leg. Across the street, Armin had fallen helplessly to his knees. Nap couldn't blame him, but he knew that the large, bearded Titan heading toward him would take no notice of such a thing. He had to act quickly.

"Nap…"

Eren's voice was the last thing that he had expected to hear, and when Nap looked over to see the wounded boy gradually coming into a sitting position, he instinctively yelled at him to stop.

"You're going to hurt yourself even more! Just stay still, I'll help Armin myself."

Eren smiled through his gritted teeth. His body relaxed as he said "We're going to see the outside world."

Nap hesitated no further, seizing the one chance that he had as the Titan grasped the ill-fated Armin by the back of his leather trainee jacket. The Titan's back was to him, and after firing his hooks into the bearded bastard's neck, it was an easy task to slice away the necessary area and slay the monster. Nap then leapt into the air, catching Armin as he fell from the beast's hand, and used his Maneuver Gear to quickly return to the rooftop from whence he came.

Mina had recovered, and was tending to Eren's injuries. He let out the occasional agonized scream as she deftly tore up his shirt to form makeshift bandages.

Nap searched the area for any remaining Titans that were tall enough to reach them in their precarious situation. He saw only a single twelve-meter class to the south, but there was no mistake that it was headed their way. It would be on them within a minute, and the most secure course of action would be to take it out as quickly as possible.

"Mina", he said while turning to face his three remaining comrades. "Can you protect these two while I go take out that twelve-meter class? I don't know how Armin is holding up, but I'd like you to try and talk to him some. And whatever you do", he added, "don't follow me."

Mina only had time to nod and give a courageous smile before Nap shot off like a bullet in the direction of the bulgy brute. The Titan looked to be a regular one, as there had been no aberrants in the area other than the one that had killed Thomas. If Nap could take out this one, he and his friends could stay safe on top of that roof until another team reached them. He could do it. He could save them. He could-

His wire failed to hitch onto the façade of a large building, and he tumbled to the ground mere paces from the feet of the twelve-meter class.

Nap's body ached all over, especially the stinging pain in his right leg. It must have been badly bruised, but that was of little concern compared to the fact that he was now completely vulnerable. There were four Titans headed toward him, the twelve-meter class along with three shorter ones that he hadn't seen from the air. The ground beneath him was unable to shake more than his body and heart. He had failed, and now he and his friends were going to be devoured by Titans because of it. He thought of all the faces he would never see again. Annie. Mina. Eren. Langston. His grandfather. Nap shut his eyes tightly, as he waited for the end that he had never expected to come.

He heard the footsteps of the Titans drawing ever closer.

He heard them directly in front of him.

He heard them pass him entirely without as much as a hesitation.


End file.
